Editing Jeeves (section)

=== The stories ===

Jeeves is first hired by Bertie in "[[Jeeves Takes Charge]]" to replace a valet whom Bertie had fired for stealing from him. In this short story, Bertie briefly fires Jeeves after Jeeves, who believes that Bertie would not be happy with his fiancée [[Florence Craye]], takes steps to end Bertie's engagement to her. Bertie quickly rehires Jeeves after realizing that Jeeves was right. Thereafter, Jeeves lives with Bertie, usually in their London residence at [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Berkeley Mansions|Berkeley Mansions]]. Over the course of the short stories and novels, Jeeves helps Bertie, frequently extricating him from unwanted engagements, and also assists Bertie's friends and relatives with various dilemmas. Jeeves often has another motive, such as disposing of an item recently acquired by Bertie that Jeeves does not like, for example a bright scarlet [[cummerbund]]. He sometimes receives a monetary reward from Bertie and other people he helps in early stories, though this does not occur in later stories.

Bertie and Jeeves experience a variety of adventures in numerous short stories and novels. Aside from changes in his employment status, some events occur that are particularly noteworthy for Jeeves. Jeeves gets engaged twice in "[[Jeeves in the Springtime]]", though he never talks about these fiancées afterwards, and it appears that he does not become engaged again.<ref>Usborne (2003), p. 91.</ref> In the only story Jeeves narrates, "[[Bertie Changes His Mind]]", he opposes Bertie's decision to live with his nieces. Jeeves and Bertie visit [[P. G. Wodehouse locations#Deverill Hall|Deverill Hall]], where Jeeves's Uncle Charlie is employed as butler, in ''[[The Mating Season (novel)|The Mating Season]]''.

In the novel ''[[Ring for Jeeves]]'', which is set after World War II, Jeeves temporarily works as Lord Rowcester's butler while Bertie is sent to a school where the idle rich learn to fend for themselves. This is the only story in which Jeeves appears without Bertie Wooster. The novel was adapted from the play ''[[Come On, Jeeves]]''.

Jeeves's first name was not revealed until the penultimate novel, ''[[Much Obliged, Jeeves]]''. Bertie Wooster learns Jeeves's name when he hears another valet greet Jeeves with "Hullo, Reggie." The readers may have been surprised to learn Jeeves's first name, but Bertie was stunned by the revelation "that he had a first name" in the first place.<ref>Wodehouse (2008) [1971], ''Much Obliged, Jeeves'', chapter 4, p. 38. "'Hullo, Reggie,' he said, and I froze in my chair, stunned by the revelation that Jeeves's first name was Reginald. It had never occurred to me before that he had a first name" (Bertie about Bingley greeting Jeeves).</ref><ref>In the 1937 film ''Step Lively, Jeeves'', Jeeves, portrayed by [[Arthur Treacher]], states his first name to be Rupert.  However, Wodehouse had nothing to do with the script of that film, and Treacher's Jeeves character is so unlike Wodehouse's Jeeves that the viewer could easily believe him to be a different Jeeves altogether.</ref> In the club book of Jeeves's club, the Junior Ganymede, all members must record the foibles of their employers to forewarn other butlers and valets. Bertie wants Jeeves to destroy his section. Jeeves is initially reluctant to defy his club's rules, but he eventually does destroy the pages for Bertie by the end of ''Much Obliged, Jeeves''.

Jeeves last appears in ''[[Aunts Aren't Gentlemen]]'', in which Jeeves and Bertie head to the rural village of Maiden Eggesford, though Jeeves wants to go to New York. He and Bertie visit New York at the end of the story.